Democrats and Republicans spent $8 million on OH special election

The victor will fill the seat previously held by Pat Tiberi, a nine-term Republican incumbent who resigned to take a job with an OH business group. "I want to see someone who's interested in working with the other party so we can actually get something done".

Republicans are scrambling to avoid an embarrassing defeat in a seat that the party has held for decades.

The race has centred on Trump's tax cuts at times as much as the candidates themselves.

The day after Trump's appearance, Ohio Gov. John Kasich, a prominent GOP critic of Trump, said he asked Balderson if he invited Trump at all into the district in the Columbus suburbs - the sort of area where Republicans have lost voters who rebelled against Trump in previous special elections.

But the GOP candidate in the race, Troy Balderson, is a Trump supporter who recently welcomed President Trump at a town rally this weekend.

A Monmouth University poll released last week showed a one-point race, with Balderson receiving 44% support to O'Connor's 43%, with 11% of respondents saying they are undecided.

KS-Dem primary: In Kansas' Democrat primary for governor, the Planned Parenthood-supported Laura Kelly leads the pack with a wide margin, though only about 14 of more than 3,500 precincts are reporting thus far. Senate Republicans had hoped to make MI, a state which Trump carried, competitive, but it's fallen down the list of top targets for 2018.

"He is a fantastic guy who loves his State and our Country - he will be a GREAT Governor and has my full & total Endorsement!"

Republicans were hoping for Democratic discord in Kansas' 3rd Congressional District, a suburban Kansas City district where several candidates were fighting for the chance to take on Republican Rep. Kevin Yoder in November.

On the left, candidates backed by Democrat-socialist darlings Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Bernie Sanders face off in key primaries in MI and Kansas.

Also in the race: Native American attorney Sharice Davids and former school teacher Tom Niermann.

"I think of Republicans lose this seat it will confirm that they are in a boatload of trouble come November and they should batten down the hatches because they will probably signal that a democratic wave is coming if not already there", said Bevan.

The Democratic race for governor in MI offers the next test of the electoral power of the party's progressive wing, with former Detroit health director Abdul El-Sayed vying to become the country's first Muslim governor against a more moderate Democrat, former state Senate leader Gretchen Whitmer.

Iraq War veteran John James also won the Michigan GOP Senate primary to take on Democratic Sen.

Hours before polls opened, Trump again weighed in on Twitter, casting James as "a potential Republican star".